"While we couldn't have predicted any of this, we hope to make it a learning opportunity for our children," Shortt said.

(Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

'Caught in a whirlwind'

Younger children may not be able to verbalize how they feel, and anxiety can reveal itself in headaches, stomachaches or other physical complaints, said Steven Bruce, director of the Center for Trauma Recovery at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Traumatic events have a much more "pervasive" impact on children than on adults, said Ken Oliver, associate professor of counseling at Quincy University in Illinois.

Children may think a situation represents how things are supposed to be. In the case of Ferguson, "they will assume all white police officers are mean to black people or black children," Oliver said.

(Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)

Some early research shows "racial identity development happens early on in child development," Oliver said.

Teens in the community have described the past two weeks as surreal, said Gail Babcock, a program director at Ferguson Youth Initiative, a non-profit group.

"It feels like they're caught in a whirlwind, that they feel trapped," Babcock said. "It's scary, devastating, stressful. Some say they want to hide."

Some teens say they have nightmares and trouble sleeping, Babcock said.

"They need school to start because that's where they feel they can do the healing," she said.